Michael Jordan reveals the genesis of the Bulls vs Pistons rivalry: “Next night we played the Detroit Pistons at home and I played like I was possessed” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
The Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons were bitter rivals during the late 1980s and early 1990s. These mortal enemies fought tooth and nail for supremacy in the Central Division and Eastern Conference during that period. More than the stiff competition between the two teams, the bad blood stood out.
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However, while such hatred can emerge simply from being fierce competitors, the grudge that separated the Bulls and Pistons was forged from one of the most controversial incidents of Michel Jordan‘s NBA career – the “Freeze Out Game.”
Mike heard the story from a reporter
As a rookie, Jordan was hyped not only because he made the All-Star team but also because he was named as a starter. But his excitement turned into disappointment when he scored only 7 points on 2-9 shooting. Mike scored way below his average, and six players scored more points and attempted more shots than him on the Eastern Conference team.
During a 1998 interview with Vanity Fair, Mike admitted that he did not notice anything unusual on game day. But when he returned to Chicago the next day, a reporter told him that he overheard Isiah Thomas, George Gervin, and some other All-Stars laugh about intentionally not passing Jordan the ball during the game. Suddenly, what MJ thought was a bad game from him turned out to be a sinister plan from his fellow All-Stars to make him look bad.
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“That incident was one of the most painful experiences of my life up to that point,” said Jordan. “I was so disillusioned I didn’t know what to do. I knew that everything happened for a purpose and I could either learn from the experience or fight it. I decided to do both. The next night we played the Detroit Pistons at home and I played like I was possessed.”
The foundation of the rivalry
Perhaps it was meant to be that after the All-Star break, the Bulls’ first game was a February 12, 1985 home game against Isiah’s Pistons. For Michael, the wound was still fresh. And for a man who used the smallest of slights to motivate him, here was an easy provocateur at hand. And sure enough, Jordan made a statement in front of his home crowd.
“We beat them in overtime in a very physical game,” Added MJ. “There were a couple near fights, and I had my first real run-in, with Bill Laimbeer, the Pistons’ center. But there was no way I was going to let us lose the game. I scored 49 points and had 15 rebounds. I also got a piece of Isiah’s last-second shot, which could have tied the game. I guess you could say our rivalry with Detroit suddenly had a foundation. For the next seven years, I would do all I could to build upon that foundation. I’m pretty sure Isiah and Laimbeer had the same idea.”
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Since then, Jordan put the target on the Pistons’ back. After three straight first-round playoff exits, the Bulls drafted Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant to give Mike the backup he needed to take on Isiah’s Bad Boys. The Bulls would face the Pistons in the playoffs four straight times after that. They lost the first three, with Detroit winning back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990. Finally, MJ and the Bulls got over the Piston’s hump in 1991, and that started a dynasty that netted them six championships over eight years.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 22, 2025, where it first appeared.